Key Stage 4 at Heworth Grange starts in Year 9. The options that Year 8 students take determine the GCSE and equivalent exams they will take in Years 10 & 11. This page will give you information on those choices and the timescales.

Principles

To advise and guide students on to the courses which best suit their aspirations and abilities.

How?

By providing 3 distinct curriculum ‘pathways’ for students with different abilities and interests.ALL of the pathways allow access to Level 2 (GCSE grades 4-9) qualifications.
Pathways are decided on current and prior attainment. i.e. current teacher assessment and prior attainment at the end of KS2.

The options evening on Tuesday 5th June included an options booklet for all parents/carers to take home.

In recent years there have been significant changes made to the KS4 curriculum. All KS4 courses have been updated with new specifications and assessment models. There have also been significant changes made to the way in which schools are held to account for pupil outcomes. Our options process has been adapted to ensure that, where appropriate, pupils can access courses that fulfil the expectations placed upon them and us.

Core Subjects

All pupils will follow courses in the core subjects;

English Language and English LiteratureMathematicsSciencePhysical Education (Core)Learning for Life

The majority of pupils will also take a Humanities course and where appropriate a MFL language course
The majority of pupils will study Dual Science worth two GCSEs. The Science department will identify a cohort of pupils who are excelling in Science and will therefore study separate sciences and gain an additional GCSE. A small cohort of pupils may study a foundation Science course.
Thereafter pupils have a guided choice of which subjects they want to study.
After detailed discussions, pupils will be placed into the pathway which best suits their abilities and aspirations. Each pathway has been designed to maximise each child’s chance to succeed.

Options Pathways

Pupils in this pathway should be prioritising GCSE’s when making their choices.

Information on each subject can be found in the options booklet available on the link above. Pupils are encouraged to approach individual departments to gather more information.
Every effort is made to give each pupil their preferred subjects but this is not always possible. Where pupils have a choice, they are asked to rank the subjects 1 – 4 or 1 – 5 depending on their pathway, with 1 being their first choice. It is therefore wise to be thinking of backup subjects if the first choices prove to be unavailable.

Important points to consider

DO NOT choose a subject just because you like the teacher as you this may not be the teacher you will get at KS4.

DO NOT choose a subject just because your friends are.

DO consider what you want to do after you finish school as the courses you choose now can affect the courses that are available to you in further education.

DO think about what you enjoy as you are likely to be more successful if you are enjoying what you do.

DO talk to your subject teachers, your Form Tutor or the relevant Head of Department if you have any questions about a course.

Key Dates

Wed 6th June

Pupils given option booklets and practice forms for their pathway

Friday 8th June

Pupils complete a practice option form with form tutor guidance

Monday 11th June

Pupils take their options

Pathway 1

Students will have to study a Modern Foreign Language and either History or Geography.

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